Insider Secrets of the PMP Exam

Professional responsibility is no longer a category on the exam but there are questions that will be related to the “right thing to do”, and some of these may surprise the test taker who has not fully prepared.

Many of the questions may create very difficult situations that will be easier to ignore or blanch in real life, however, the PMI requires that the project manager do with these situations in a direct and open manner.

Do The Right Thing

If there were one simple phrase that sums up this category of questions section of the test, it would be “do the right thing”, even if it is painful or would be tempting to avoid.

If a test question offers you an easy way out, be careful as you will have likely spotted a trap.  If the exam presents you with an option that that represents a shortcut do not take it.

There are many specific points you should understand in this area.  International more can be a tricky and sometimes ambiguous area, but you should expect questions on the exam to be generally straightforward in this regard.

The rule for the exam is:

If you are asked to do something in another country that is not customarily done in your culture, you should first evaluate and investigate it, determine if it is unethical or illegal, and then act accordingly.

This may be difficult for those who are not accustomed to international dealings.  As an example, if you are asked to make a payment to a City Council in another country to get a work permit, evaluate whether the payment is a bribe.

If it is a bribe, do not make the payment.  If it is not a bribe and it is customary, or even the Law, then make the payment.

Put simply, if it is illegal or unethical in any way then that would be the wrong answer - otherwise, the custom in the country where the work is being performed should prevail.

There are infinite possibilities as to what may be asked here.

Questions of bribery, discrimination, and illegal activity are among the favorites, but by following the thought process previously described, these questions should present no problem.

Just make sure that you are not thinking so concretely that you think anything is wrong if it is different from the custom read practices in your home country.

Organizational Policies

A rule to keep in mind is that your organization’s policies must always be followed.

If you have an interest that conflicts for the policy, the policy is to be considered first. 

If your organization has a policy that all travel must be booked through the company’s travel agency, but you find that you can get a cheaper rate through your father’s travel agency, you should adhere to the company policy and use the corporate travel agency.

Integrity may be defined as sticking to high moral principles.

For the PMP Exam, the important concept is that you should do what you said you would do, deal with the problems openly and honestly, and do not put personal gain ahead of the project.

Company and professional politics may play a prominent role in your life or company, and many project managers learn to be quite adept at managing them, but they are relegated to a low position on the exam.

Keep in mind that carrying out the right choice may involve standing up to the company’s president, refusing an order from your boss, telling the customer the whole truth, and many other things that might have unpleasant consequences.

If the choice appears sneaky, underhanded, or dishonest in any way, it is probably not the correct answer.

If the behavior as not direct, open, and straightforward, it is probably not the right behavior – even if it would ultimately appear to help the project! This will help you eliminate wrong choices on many questions.

Questions about professionalism on the exam are testing your knowledge of how a project manager acts as a professional in the workplace.  According to the code of professional conduct, a project manager is to follow the process and act with respect toward others.

One key to these questions is to take the 47 processes seriously.

The process framework is not just a formality or a theoretical best-case scenario.  It is a serious act of process is, inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs that will reduce risk and improved time, cost, and quality.

Having said that, the process is not painless.  For the exam however, the process must be followed.  If your customer asks you to cut corners on the process to save money, you should not agree.

Personal and professional development

PMI expects project management professionals to stay engaged and further the profession.

The PMP certification was not designed for people to earn and never use, and so this is reflected on the exam with questions about activities that do not necessarily relate directly to a project.

Any time a project manager has an opportunity to further the project management training or learning of someone else, and such as sharing lessons learned, mentor in, teaching, or leading in best practices, there is a very good chance that is the correct choice for answering a question.

PMP’s are encouraged to publish, teach, writes, and disseminate that methodology and process as much as they can.  On says that offer a variant of these activities as the choice are often correct.

Project management certification is quite a milestone in one’s career, but it is by no means the end.  Project managers are expected to continue to study, learn, and grow professionally.

As you have no doubt seen, any one of the knowledge areas could consume an entire career, so do not assume that you have learned all there is to know. Even one topic, such as quality, or risk, could provide more than a Annual’s worth of material to study and master.

Developing Yourself

Another favorite is that you know your own areas of weakness and continue to develop them:

Everyone has strong suites as well as areas that need to be developed, so it is important that the project manager knows what their professional growth needs are and pays attention to them.

Additionally, project managers can contribute more to the body of knowledge is the are familiar with their industries periods they should study the industry’s, learn them well, and thus enhance their ability to apply the project management processes to their work and projects.

You should expect to see questions that put you in a situation of taken a hard look at your abilities or learning where it is that you are weak.

In these scenarios, the project manager should strive for continued improvement, growth, and increased proficiency.

The project manager must accurately identify the stakeholders, then understand them, and then seek to balance the interests.  This can be nearly impossible at times, so for the exam, keep these principles in mind:

It is tempting for some people to approach questions with a sense of “fairness” about how hard someone should work, but work ethics and vary from country to country, and project managers should take that into account.

That does not mean that laziness or negligence should be tolerated, but it does mean that different cultures place different values upon work, and it is not the project manager’s job to force them to the level of his or her own country.

As stated previously, cultural differences on the team should be respected.  You will notice how many times the concept of “respect” is mentioned, and multiculturalism is something PMI promotes heavily.

Your dealings with your team and the many stakeholders on a project should be professional and mindful of their customs.  As in other areas, communication should be open and regular so that people are aware of what is going on with the project.

Organizations are accountable for social, environmental, and the economic impacts to their projects.  Project managers should factor in the interests of the community, the environment, and society when making decisions.

On the PMP Exam, you may encounter a question that poses a situation where the project would benefit but society would suffer.  The project manager should avoid all such situations and scenarios.

If the situation becomes untenable or unresolvable, the project manager should disclose situation and, as of last resort, resign the project.

Sustainability is another favoured answer on the exam.

Answers that encourage sustainable usage of resources and sustainable team work practices are good candidates for the right answer!

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